Hot Chocolate Makes Everything Better
by I'mcalledZorro
Summary: A small tag to Wilderness Training Survival


AN: This is one of my favorite episodes (The other being Mac+Fallout+Jack) but I felt like it could have gone on for a bit longer :) I know a lot of other very talented writers have also wrote tags, so I though I would throw my hat in with theirs. Beted by the always wonderful and amazing gaelicspirit! I appreciate her so very much. Also there is a recipe at the end, I hope you enjoy!

Bozer heard his friends' voices coming from the living room as he stepped into the kitchen and set about making hot chocolate from scratch. He got out the pot and poured the cream and milk into it. Adding a pinch of salt and vanilla, his special touches, he started it heating. He got out the three different chocolates, measured the correct amounts of each, started water boiling in the microwave, then poured the hot water over the chocolate to get it melting. While he waited for the chocolate to melt, he thought back over how hard last few days had been.

_Two days ago_

"Riley, Bozer…. You passed."

Yesterday Bozer would have given a million dollars to have heard those words, but right then when he was more worried about his best friend. Passing was the last thing on his mind. As soon as Mac laid his head back down, the phone in Bozer's had started ringing. He knew it would be Jack wanting to know what the heck was going on. While Fred and Riley attended to Mac, Bozer stepped away to try to calm Jack down.

"What is going on there Bozer?" Jack's voice was worried.

"Well, Mac got into a bit of a situation." Bozer didn't want to elevate Jack's worry until they had all the information.

"What kind of situation?" Jack's voice was like a cattle-prod. He wasn't interested in delays.

"The kind where he got kidnapped, beat up, and shot?" Bozer decided just to rip off the band-aid, so to speak.

Jack was quiet for a few minutes, evidently processing the information he had been told. "What's his status right now."

"He got hit in the leg. Right now he is conscious and talking, and I'm pretty sure I can hear the helicopter coming," Bozer answered.

"Put Mac on the phone," Jack demanded.

Bozer sighed, and walked back to the group. Mac had once again propped himself up and was watching Bozer advance towards him. Bozer figured he knew who was on the phone.

Mac took the proffered phone, and answered with, "I'll be fine…. Yes, …. How could I have known? No, you don't... Seriously, don't... Fine." He handed the phone back to Bozer.

"Yeah?" Bozer put the phone back to his ear.

"The stubborn jerk told me not to come up there, but if it is worse than he is letting on, I'll get there so fast it would make the roadrunner's head spin. Keep me updated, OK?"

Bozer could hear the hint of pleading in his older friend voice.

"You know it," Bozer agreed. "As soon as I've got an update, you've got an update."

"Thanks, man. Now go take care of our boy. I can hear the helicopter through the phone." Bozer hung up the phone and watch the Medivac land in the clearing. Two people emerged, grabbed a stretcher, and ran to Mac.

The first medic stopped beside Mac,. "I'm Tom. Can you tell me your name and what's happened?" The man had a low, strong voice that carried authority.

Mac nodded. "I'm Mac. I was shot in the upper thigh and sustained burns on my left hand."

Tom nodded. "Alright, sir. We can have one passenger come with you; the other will have to meet you at Hillcrest Community Hospital."

Bozer stepped over to Riley while the two medics got Mac transferred to the backboard and strapped in.

"Hey, you go with Mac, and get that knee checked out," Bozer told Riley. She started to protest, but Bozer cut her off. "I know it's hurting you, and I can drive the Jeep to wherever the hospital is, and give Matty a sitrep while I drive. OK?" Bozer gave her his best pleading look.

"Fine, put those puppy dog eyes away, you've been spending too much time with Jack."

The medics were ready to leave, so the two friends parted ways. Bozer and Frank were left standing in front of the store as they watched the helicopter lift off and fly away.

Frank patted Bozer on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Mac's one tough cookie. I'm sure he'll be right as rain in no time. Now, let me go grab the keys for the Jeep, and write you some directions."

Bozer nodded dumbly as the adrenaline started to leave his system. It felt like no time at all had passed before he heard, "I brought you some coffee, it'll keep you warm and awake. The sun's goin' down, so you better get on your way."

Bozer gladly accepted the coffee, keys, and map. "Thank you, Frank."

He hoped his gratefulness was conveyed; he hopped into the Jeep, grabbed his phone, and looked over the instructions on how to get to the hospital. They were pretty straightforward, so he quickly memorized them, laying down the paper he picked up the coffee. He sipped it, feeling the warmth trickled down his throat. He then started the Jeep and was on the way.

Once he was on a straight stretch, he called Matty again. She picked up on the first ring, obviously waiting for his call.

"How's Blondie doing? I've got you on speaker, so Jack can hear as well."

Bozer could hear how worried she was even over the phone.

"They got him into the Medivac and are taking him to Hillcrest Community Hospital. Riley's riding with him, and I'm driving the Jeep there right now."

"Alright. Now, maybe you can tell me exactly how one of my best agents came to be kidnapped and shot while on a training mission?" Matty's voice had a bite to it, one that he had come to associate with worry.

Bozer took a deep, calming breath and relayed the last 48 grueling hours.

"When we got to the clearing, we found Mac unconscious," Bozer paused. "For a second I thought he might be dead." Bozer took another second to try to get rid of all the thoughts that had went through his head. "Thankfully, he came around and was able to help us administer first aid. Then we finished the travois he'd started building and dragged him back to where we started. Oh yeah, we also left the guy Mac bashed in the head all tied up, and there's another other guy also tied up somewhere out there."

"You did a good job, Bozer," Jack said.

"I'll notify the local police that they have some garbage they need to pick up. Anything you need right now?" Matty offered.

Bozer thought for a second. "I can't think of anything, boss lady."

Jack answered. "Glad that you're ok Bozer. Keep us updated on how Mac's doing. I told him I would stay with Matty, but if it's worse than he is letting on, I'll grab the first plane I come to and fly up there myself!"

Bozer chuckled. "I'll be sure to let you know; I think I can see the hospital up ahead."

After saying bye, he closed the phone, and pulled into the hospital's parking lot, easily finding a parking space. He jammed his phone in his jacket pocket and put Riley's in his back pocket; she was probably going crazy without it. The lady at the front desk directed him to Mac's room which he found easily enough. When he entered the room Riley was sitting in a chair across from where one of the beds should be, but Mac was nowhere to be seen.

She must have read his puzzled expression. "They said that I could wait in here, that this would be his room after they get done with him."

Bozer nodded in understanding. "So, how's the knee?" He could see that she had a white bandage under her pants now.

Riley shrugged. "It wasn't anything bad. Said that there would be some swelling, and it would hurt a bit, but that it should heal up just fine."

Bozer sat down in the chair beside Riley; they sat in silence, both processing what they had been though. There would be time later to talk; Bozer knew Jack would want to go over every single detail. But right now, he was happy to sit in silence. He hadn't realized that he had dozed off until the rattle of Mac's bed being rolled in woke him up. He was surprised to see his friend looking back at him. Usually when Mac was wheeled in he was unconscious.

A huge grin split Mac's face.

"Hey Bozer!" he exclaimed happily and tried to wave with his bandaged left hand. It must have hurt, because Mac frowned at his hand like it betrayed him. The aid who wheeled him in stifled a laugh, and exited the room chucking. Bozer laughed at his friend and figured they must have given him the good stuff. He noticed Riley opening Snapchat and pointing the camera at Mac.

"So, how are ya feeling?" The grin on Riley's face spoke volumes on what she supposed his answer would be.

Mac grinned another happy loopy grin. "I'm doing awesome! Did you know they didn't even knock me out to work on my leg?" He didn't give them a chance to answer before he continued on. "It's like so numb right now! I could like get a tattoo and not even feel it!"

Both Riley and Bozer sniffled laughs at that one. Mac started moving his uninjured hand in the direction of his leg, but Bozer stopped him.

"I don't think you want to be poking at that right now, ok?"

Mac frowned, blinked a few times, then nodded, obediently putting his hand back down. He blinked a few more times then closed then in apparent slumber.

Bozer turned back to Riley who was doing something on her phone. She looked up at Bozer and grinned. "I just sent that to Jack. Kinda…proof of life."

Bozer arched an eyebrow. "On Snapchat? The man never answers his voice mails."

Riley laughed again. "On one of our trips to the arcade, I was sending some snaps to friends, and he wanted to know how to do that, too. So, I got it set up for him; of course, I have to reinstall it every time Mac mangles his phone but wait till you see his bitmoji."

The two friends passed the time playing with Snapchat and taking pictures of Mac with various filters. Bozer was sure Mac would not be impressed when he woke up.

The doctor came in for an update on Mac's condition. "I'm Dr. Smith, I treated Mr. MacGyver. After retrieving the bullet, we x-rayed his leg. The good news is that besides a hairline fracture of the femur, everything looks good. He will need some PT for his leg, but recovery should be relatively short. His hand has a couple of spots of first and second degree burns, but they should heal relatively quickly. Overall, he is a very lucky young man." The doctor paused for a second. "Since it's almost midnight, you guys can go find a hotel for the rest of the night. The nurses can point you to a decent one. Or if you just want to crash here you can; it's a quiet night, so one of you can take the free bed, and a recliner can be brought in for the other. I believe the police are going to come by in the morning. After they leave I'll do my morning rounds. If everything is still looking good and Mr. MacGyver hasn't spiked a fever or anything, he'll be released. Do you have any questions?'

"We're from L.A. Will it be ok to drive back after he is discharged?" Bozer asked. He figured that if Mac needed a few days to heal up then he would book a hotel room; if not then they would get back to home tomorrow.

Dr. Smith thought for a second. "Mr. MacGyver will need some room to stretch his leg out, but besides that, I think it should be fine." He waited to see if they had any more questions, then bade them a good night and left.

Bozer looked at the still passed out MacGyver; he had twitched a bit but so far showed no signs of waking. Then he addressed Riley, "Think we just bunk here for the night? It's not like we have clothes to change into or anything, and when he gets released tomorrow we can hit the road."

Riley yawned and stretched. "Sounds like a plan; I call the bed." She grinned and slipped into the bathroom.

The night shift nurse knocked then came in. "I just wanted to check on Mr. MacGyver, and Dr. Smith said ya'll might need a recliner for the night? I'm Nurse Allie Mae, by the way."

Bozer smiled at her Southern accent; it reminded him of Jack's. "I'm Bozer, and yeah a reclinder would be great, if you wouldn't mind?"

Allie Mae nodded. "It's no problem sugar. The ward ain't very full right now. I'll be back in a jiffy with that recliner, and to get a vital check on Mr. MacGyver. Plus, it's almost time for his pain meds."

She hustled out of the room right as Riley came out of the bathroom.

"Nurse Allie Mae just left to fetch me the promised recliner," Bozer told her.

Riley grinned and mouthed _Allie Mae_. "Jack's going to be sorry that he missed this." She shook her head in amusement.

After they both got settled and the lights were dimmed, they both slept like the dead, only waking when the lights in the room got turned on and the smell of food hit their noses.

Bozer opened his eyes to see Allie Mae taking Mac's vitals, while quietly talking to him. Upon seeing that Bozer was awake, Allie Mae turned her megawatt grin on him. "Good morning sugar. Our Mr. MacGyver has also decided to rejoin the land of the living." She chuckled at her little joke. "I was able to grab all three of ya'll some breakfast from the cafeteria. It ain't what mamma used to make, but it ain't half bad." She finished up, reminded Mac that he needed to eat his breakfast, and slipped out of the room promising to come back later.

Bozer stretched, surprised at how rested he felt, but he when he tried to stand up all the soreness hit. He was defiantly going to have to get Leanna to give him one of her 'melt into a puddle of goo' messages when they got back.

He looked over at Mac who kept blinking his eyes, obviously trying to fully wake up. "How are you feeling this morning?" Bozer asked his roommate.

Mac tried to find a comfortable spot, gasped when he tried to move his left leg, then when he tried to massage his face his bandaged hand came into view and he inadvertently put pressure on the bruises on the right side of his face from where Gio had hit him. He gave up looking tiredly at Bozer. "Better than yesterday, I guess." He let out a forced chuckled and turned his attention to his breakfast tray.

Bozer stumbled over to Riley and shook her.

"I'm awake, Boz. Just not _awake_ awake, ok?"

After a trip to the bathroom, Bozer was ready for that food; he hadn't realized just how hungry he was until the scent of food hit him. Riley was sitting up on the bed practically inhaling the food on her tray, while Mac was just nibbling a bit here and there. Which wasn't unusual, Bozer had noticed through the years that whenever Mac was injured he didn't really eat much.

Allie Mae cleared the breakfast trays and gave Mac some more paid meds. She was also nice enough to provide Riley some Advil for her leg before the police came by.

Two men in suits walked into the room after knocking.

"Mr. Bozer, Mr. MacGyver, and Ms. Davis?"

When they nodded their heads, the taller of the two detectives continued. "I'm Detective Bennett and this is Detective Owens. We're from the Seattle Police Department. I have to say you guys did good work. The Feds have been working this case for a couple of weeks now, and you three bust it wide open!"

His grin looked genuine to Bozer.

Detective Owens spoke up, "We pulled the two you had tied up out of the woods this morning; they will both be fine. Your Ms. Webber said she would be getting us your statements when you had had a little more time to recuperate. We just wanted to thank you for helping us take down this heist ring. Mr. MacGyver, get better soon!" With that, they left.

Bozer blinked a few times. "That went easier than I thought it would."

Riley grinned, "I sense Matty's behind this."

All Mac contributed to the conversation was a large yawn. They had some time to kill so Bozer and Riley chatted, and Mac tried his best to stay awake, until Dr. Smith entered.

"Good Morning! How are you feeling this morning Mr. MacGyver?" Dr. Smith stood at the end of his patient's bed while scrolling though the notes Allie Mae had made during the night.

"Ready to head home," Mac answered honestly.

Dr. Smith nodded. "I can understand that. Well, let's examine you, then I can let you know if you will be released or not." He turned to Riley and Bozer. "If you want to step—"

Mac interrupted him. "I don't care if they stay or not; it's up to them."

Riley stood up. "I think I'm got to go find some decent coffee and stretch my legs for a bit."

Once Riley had closed the door, Dr. Smith pulled the covers back and Mac's gown away from his injured leg. He then cut the bandages off the leg, Bozer could see where a few spots of blood had bled through. Mac's leg was swollen, and stitches stood out in stark contrast to his leg.

"Some of this is going to hurt, sorry."

Mac nodded, and Bozer felt for his friend. Dr. Smith gently pressed around the wound then he pulled up Mac's knee, which, judging by how Mac's breathing grew ragged, must have hurt a lot. Dr. Smith pulled the gown back down and gently examined the steri-strips that held the cut together beside Mac's lips and the bruising on his face. Lastly, he unwound the bandaging around the burned hand and examined it. He took a step back.

"I'm not seeing any obvious sign of infection, but it is very important that you continue to take both the antibiotics and your pain medicine. You do not want an infection to set in."

Mac nodded. "Does this mean I'm getting discharged?"

Dr. Smith nodded. "Yes, it does. I'll get Allie Mae to come by and redo those bandages, and get your discharge papers in order."

After that things went fast, especially for a hospital. Allie Mae gave him some more pain meds, got his leg re-wrapped and helped Mac into some hospital scrubs since the only piece of his clothing that survived was his coat. Soon, Mac was bundled in the back of the Jeep with his leg stretched out. Riley had managed to find some blankets, which she used to cover Mac up. Bozer was glad to be finally headed back home. They made good time, only stopping a few times to use the bathroom and grab some food since Mac had to take his antibiotics and pain meds with food.

Jack pulled into the driveway almost right behind them. Riley climbed out, stiff from the long ride. "Now what's timing!"

Jack laughed. "Matty and I _may_ have gotten back to the Phoenix a couple of hours ago. And I _may_ have been tracking your cell phones so I could help a certain trouble magnet into the house." He hitched a thumb towards his car. "I also _may_ have borrowed a wheelchair from Medical. I didn't figure Mac could navigate on crutches with a burned hand."

After getting everybody into the house and situated in the living room, Bozer retreated to the kitchen to make his world famous hot chocolate. Mac needed something to take his meds for the night. He stirred the melted chocolate and water together, and then poured it into the heated milk. He waited a few minutes till it started bubbling, then pulled out four mugs, filling them with the hot chocolate, plus a dash of cold milk so it wouldn't be too hot, and topped it off with whipped cream.

He carried the mugs into the living room where Mac and Riley were stretched out on the couch one on each end, and Jack was sitting on the fireplace. He gave each person their mug and raised his in a toast. "Here's to amazing friends and getting that nasty-ass taste of cattails outta our mouths. Cheers!"

Double-Chocolate Hot Chocolate

10 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate coarsely chopped (I use the 60% chips)

4 ounces milk chocolate

1 cup boiling water

1 ½ cup Whole Milk

½ cup heavy cream

(optional, Jack Daniel's, mini-marshmallows, or whipping cream)

In a medium bowl, combine the bittersweet chocolate with the mild chocolate. Add the boiling water and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk the chocolate mixture until it is smooth.

In a small saucepan, bring the milk and heavy cream just to a simmer. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk over moderate heat until hot. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the whiskey if wanted. Serve with either whipping cream or mini-marshmallows.

The recipe is from

A/N: I like to make a batch of this and store it in the fridge to use as needed. I also find it too be a bit too chocolaty for me so I cut it with half chocolate to half milk ratio. (it also makes it last longer!)


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